


Thump

by Smapdi



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 13:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2624165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smapdi/pseuds/Smapdi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not a date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I always love stories pre-relationship because it's so fun to envision all the different ways these beautiful idiots could have gotten together. I wrote a pining drabble to celebrate the full season announcement and it inspired me to make something a little longer and more satisfying. Set right after "You've Got Sext."

It's just dinner.

They have dinner all the time, really. Well, mostly lunch, but a meal is a meal. Colleagues, unwinding after a long day - something people do without a second thought.

So it makes no sense that Danny's heart pounds so hard when he asks her. But there it goes anyway. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Mindy doesn't even look up when she responds. "Yeah, sure." It's so not a thing to her. Of course it isn't. Her phone is much more fascinating.

It's not like it's a date.

He's going to pay, of course. He usually does anyway. Mindy's the kind of woman who expects to be taken care of, even when she's defiantly insisting she can do things for herself. And Danny doesn't mind.

It's not like she doesn't do things for him too - she'll bring him lunch when he can't get out. She gave him a cake once. Sure, she ended up eating most of it, but it's the thought that counts. There's a lot of food involved in their communication.

So of course it's NBD when he asks her if she wants to grab dinner. She's ready before he is, for once, because he's trying so hard to focus on work and not think of her. It surprises him a little when he looks up from a chart and sees Mindy standing expectantly in the doorway, jacket on, purse in hand.

"Chop chop, Danny. I didn't have lunch. Mmmm... pork chops. Where do you want to go?"

He puts away his paperwork and grabs his coat, feigning casualness while all the while it's happening again.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Ah, there's this place in midtown I've been wanting to try." Danny doesn't tell her he made a reservation at a stupid expensive place that's more suited for a proposal than a two co-workers Who are most definitely not on a date. She'd probably get super excited, then suspicious, and he's already feeling awkward enough, but she doesn't ask for details, just shrugs and follows him out to the street.

The cab is boiling hot, even though it's chilly outside, and he can feel himself sweating through every layer of clothes. Mindy is unfazed - she's jabbering on about some spa treatment she wants to try, and he just watches her lips move, hypnotized. She's animated, rolling her eyes and waggling her fingers and using his name so, so many times. He thinks he misheard her when she repeats it.

"Live fish, Danny! Eating the dead skin! It's so gross."

He laughs, because this feels surreal, and she laughs with him.

The traffic is bad enough that he thinks they might be late and won't get in and they'll be eating hot dogs from a street cart, but then they arrive. Mindy reacts just like he expected - she sees the place and squeals, clapping her hands, and then whirls around with her eyes narrowed.

"Why are we coming here, Danny? Are you firing me? I'm a partner, you can't just..."

"Hush," he tells her and puts his hand on the small of her back as they head inside. He does it unconsciously but it seems to settle her, like throwing a cover over a birdcage. She huffs a little air out her nose, but she's still giving him side eye.

Once they're seated, she looks like she's about to ask again, so Danny heads her off. "I just saw this place on the news, and it looked good. Is it some big deal?" He's got the blasé act down pretty well by now and she seems to be buying it.

"It's just crazy trendy and expensive, Danny. Like, the last place I'd think to find you." She gestures at him and emphasizes that last word as if he was a smelly hobo instead of a very well paid Manhattan doctor. He wonders if he'd have a better shot at her if he were a homeless guy, since she loves fixing people. Not that he couldn't use some fixing himself, but he wasn't about to admit that.

"I like food," he stammers, feeling self conscious. He should have picked some rando diner. He's picking up her slang, her words and mannerisms forcing themselves into his life much like she herself did. "This place has food. Read the menu."

Mindy settles back, but her lips are twisted in a smirk, like she's laughing at a private joke.

The menu is full of food, but it's weird and incomprehensible. What is foam doing on a menu? It's not food. He orders the closest thing to meat and potatoes he can find, and Mindy wants to order five things and settles on the fish. She's giving the order to the waiter when she stops mid-sentence, glances at Danny, and changes her mind and orders chicken.

And then she does that little smirk again.

He has to stop looking at her lips. It's very distracting, but if he doesn't stop, she's going to catch him. Maybe she already has. She didn't get all gussied up for him, because this isn't a date. Her hair doesn't have the poufiness that he's seen when she's primping for some guy, her eye makeup is faded, and she hasn't used anything to conceal the darkness around them.

"You look tired," he blurts out like an idiot. Mindy does look tired, but there are so many better adjectives he could have used. Gorgeous is one of them. Stunning, amazing, captivating, unattainable.

A little line appears between her eyes and she makes a hissing noise. "I am tired. I was on my feet almost all day. But THANKS for pointing that out."

"I didn't mean..."

"Whatever, Danny." She flaps a hand at him and looks away pointedly. He feels odd, like he's disappointed her somehow. Shit.

"I just meant, I'm worried. It's worrying. You need to take care of yourself." That really is all he meant, but he feels like he has to emphasize how sincere he is and that makes it sound false.

She looks back at him, crinkling her brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean? It's not a complex concept. Eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep."

"Oh. Okay. Well, seriously, Danny, when have you ever known me to do any of that?"

He shrugs. "Time to start, then. What did you think I meant?"

Mindy grins. The waiter walks up and serves their wine, so there's a moment of distraction. She grasps the wine glass and sips, still smiling.

"For a minute I thought you meant, _take care of myself._ I mean, I am single, but..."

It takes Danny a minute, and then he's blushing furiously. Mindy laughs, thinking she's embarrassed him, but it's not the case at all. He's just got this image in his head now and it's doing highly inappropriate things to him.

He chokes down some wine and wishes he'd never said anything.

But not really.

"ANYWAY," Mindy giggles and changes the subject, to his relief. She's managing to carry the conversation all by herself, as per usual, when they're interrupted.

"Good evening." The woman is addressing them both, but smiling at Danny. "Would you like to buy a lovely rose for your lovely date?"

"Oh, I'm..."

Danny interjects. "Sure, thank you." He hands the woman a bill and she hands him the rose, her eyes never leaving his. Mindy has a delighted grin on her gaping mouth.

"Danny, you didn't have to do that. I mean, seriously? A restaurant this expensive, and they still let those folks peddle their overpriced flowers?"

He just shrugs and hands it to her. Danny doesn't mean for his fingers to brush hers as she takes it, but the effect is the same. Thump. Thump. Thump. He can't meet her eyes. Gotta play it cool. "Eh, it gets rid of them quicker."

"Right."

He glances at her now, and she's still smiling, a small smile, looking down at the bud as she sniffs it. He exhales, free to just gaze at her for a minute, and he's sure he has the dopiest look on his face, because damn it. Ever since that night they were wrapped in each other's arms, faking a couple, he's wanted to do it again. For real.

She looks up at him, under her lashes, her nose still buried in the petals, and for a brief moment, it looks like she does, too.

"Thank you," she says, so quiet it's almost a whisper.

And then the food arrives. It's good, if a bit out of Danny's comfort zone, and the wine is rich and stains Mindy's lips. That doesn't help him stop thinking about them, not one bit.

He offers to get a cab, but she says its a nice night, and her place is nearby, so she'd rather walk. He's surprised, but goes along with it, because he'd rather walk too. Especially since it extends the night just that much longer, which is silly, because it's not a date. It's just friends and food and wine and she doesn't think of him that way, the way he's been thinking about her. Is thinking about her, right now, as his hand finds her back as the cross the street.

It needs to stop really. He's not in love. It's just some silly phase he's going through.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Danny doesn't even realize she might think it's odd that he follows her inside the building, because maybe you'd walk a date to their front door, but not a colleague. It's only when she gets out her keys and turns them in the lock that he reflects on his presence there, and instantly feels awkward, stepping back.

She turns and smiles at him obliviously. "Thank you for dinner, Danny. That was an unexpected treat."

He just nods, the lump in his throat blocking any vocalization. He doesn't know what he'd say, anyway. Thanks for letting me moon over you at dinner while you wished you were with that other guy? Thanks for not humiliating me any more than I've already humiliated myself? He settles on a strangled "you're welcome."

She's maintaining serious eye contact, though. Almost... expectant, like it's time for a good night kiss. But he's not going to kiss a co-worker after they grab a bite. How crazy would that be?

"And thank you for walking me home," she adds. "All the way to my door. What a gentleman."

Danny feels his ears start to burn. Is she mocking him? Probably. He's a fool. But her hand is on his arm now, squeezing gently, and then she steps in to him.

His instinct is to move back, but he holds still and Mindy raises up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Just the cheek, like they've done before, because that's fine for friends to do.

Except his hand just reaches for her waist like its drawn by a magnet and he holds her in place.

Not that she couldn't move if she wanted to. He's just steadying her, really, so she doesn't topple off those silly heels. So what if her mouth landed awfully close to his when she kissed him? Mindy has notoriously bad aim.

It doesn't explain why she's still there as the seconds tick by, her lips millimeters from his, her breath warm and sweet, because she didn't order the fish. She didn't order the fish, because...

If he just turned his head the tiniest bit his lips would meet hers and as it dawns on him that that is exactly what Mindy is waiting for him to do, she drops back down with a huff of breath.

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

She's looking down now, and she takes her hand off his arm and her disappointment is almost palpable.

But Danny's hand is still on her waist, and in a second she looks back up, expression guarded.

"Well, good night," she says, almost sighing.

He doesn't move his hand. He digs his fingers in, applying just the tiniest bit of pressure. He just needs her to stay for a moment more.

"I want to kiss you."

Well, that's the second stupid thing he's blurted out tonight. His voice is low and gravelly, as if he's just woken from hibernation. Mindy's eyes go wide she sucks in a quick breath, and he's briefly struck by how much more mortifying it is to have said the words instead of just doing it. You can explain away an impulsive act so much easier than a voiced desire.

"Well, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation?"

She's barely finished the sentence and his hands are on her face, cradling her head as he moves in, throwing caution out the window. Danny can feel her tension as his lips land on hers and move slowly, and he's worried maybe she was kidding, she doesn't want this at all, when she relaxes into him. Her arms snake around his neck to draw him closer and he gives in to the sensation, the feeling of finally kissing her.

It's not as good as he expected. It's a million times better.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Mindy makes this little noise, something between a whine and a moan, and it spurs him on. Her lips part and he seeks the warmth inside, his tongue as graceful as the rest of him. Danny releases her face so his hands can move in tandem over her waist and hips, and he can't resist dipping one hand down to cup her ass.

The noise she makes now is from deeper in her throat, raw and hungry. Her back slams against the door and Danny feels her hands on his ass now, pulling him against her, and he groans as the pressure is nearly too great to bear.

This is going way too fast, and as much as he wants it to continue, it can't. 

He pulls his mouth away, panting for breath, and Mindy tips her head forward and rests it on his chest, inhaling deeply. She moves her arms to wrap around his back and just stands there, enveloping him.

It's eerily quiet in the hallway, with only the sounds of their breath echoing along the corridor.

After a moment like this, Mindy tilts her head up and looks at him. Danny swallows hard.

"Took you long enough," she sighs.

A grin spreads across his face. "I've wanted to do that for a while," he says softly.

"I've wanted you to, for a while." She's smiling too.

"So."

"So..." She echoes, her eyes sparkling. He's never quite seen her look like this before, and it's making his head spin.

"Can I come in?" He squeezes, involuntarily, and her lush body seems to mold itself to him.

"Yeah, right, buddy. You wish. It's gonna take at least four more of these before you're at bat." She bites her lip and her eyes roam his face. "But I'll let you kiss me goodnight again."

He doesn't ask this time, because his mouth is already occupied.

"Maybe three," Mindy moans into his kiss. He tugs at her lower lip with his teeth and figures if this keeps up they'll be ordering pizza and calling every slice a date.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He isn't wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yeah, this was supposed to be a one shot. It still is, really - this is just the same story, from Mindy's POV, as suggested by Erniegirl who now owes me a million dollars worth of hugs.  
> You'd think it would be easier to write the same story twice, but for some reason, it was harder. It was kind of a fun expieriment - I hope it's not a flop.

Damn it. 

Every time she gets this close she runs out of hammers. It's like the game knows and wants her to spend more money on it!

Mindy sighs and clicks the "buy hammers" button, just one more time. 

She hears his breathing in her doorway before he says anything. A long time before he says anything. Like, creepy stalker status. So she studiously clicks on the pixellated coffee mugs on her screen and refuses to look up, because it's more fun that way. 

He finally speaks, as if he just got there. 

"Hey."

She bites back a smile. Something about the gruff texture of his voice always speeds up her pulse, and now is no exception. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

And it's silly, but she can't control it. Stupid adrenal glands, they don't know that it's just Danny. Mindy's known him forever, and he's just a friend. 

A friend that makes her heart race sometimes, but whatever. 

He asks her if she wants to grab dinner, and there's something a little forced sounding about it. She wants to look up and read his expression, but she's a little scared to at the same time. 

Danny doesn't initiate their shared time together. If Mindy left it up to him, they'd only see each other in passing, but she doesn't let that happen. He's going to be her friend whether he wants to be or not. 

So either there's something bad going on - the practice is going under, or they're kicking her out, or he's leaving to go become Staten Island's premiere vaginologist - or there's some other, mysterious motivation that's got him in here all stressed and awkward. 

It sure as hell isn't like he's asking her on a date. 

That idea almost makes her laugh, and then it makes her stomach knot, so she wishes she hadn't thought of it. As if Danny Castellano would make a move on her... 

Mindy tells him yeah, sure, like its nothing, but as soon as he's gone, she's holding back stress barfs. 

He's buried in paperwork when she gets to his office an hour later, and this makes her even more certain this is some kind of a work problem dinner. Danny usually has his files updated and his desk cleared off before noon. She clears her throat and nags him to go, because truly, she is starving. Whatever's going on, she'd at least better get a full belly out of it. 

If she can keep it down, of course. 

"Sorry, I just had to finish some notes on that breech delivery from last night. That little stinker sure didn't want to come out." He slips on his coat and gives her a tight lipped smile. She searches his face for a clue, but he's being very evasive. 

He doesn't even talk to her in the elevator, or when they get a cab. It's kind of freaking her out. 

She fills the silence with mindless chatter. That way, she doesn't have to think about whatever wrecking ball is about to hit her at dinner. 

"So you go there thinking you're going to get a regular pedicure. You really should get one, Danny. They're very invigorating. Anyway, they have these tubs, Danny, like you'd soak your feet, and you do soak them, but then they put in these fish and they eat off the dead skin. Fish! Live fish, Danny! Eating the dead skin! It's so gross." 

He laughs. She looks at him, and his eyes are warm and crinkled at the edges, and she feels a rush of adrenaline and laughs too. It's just in relief, because if he's smiling and laughing, it can't be too terrible, right? That's why her heart is pounding. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

The cab finally stops in front of a restaurant Mindy has only seen on tv, and she gasps. This is a place where movie stars duck paparazzi, though on a Thursday night it's probably unlikely she'll be rubbing shoulders with any media darlings. She gets out of the cab, Danny politely holding the door for her, and gawks like a tourist fresh from Arkansas. 

Wait. 

This place is trendy and overpriced and serves foam as food. What the hell does Danny Castellano, king of the pastrami sandwich, know about molecular gastronomy? And more to the point, why would he come here at all, let alone making the effort to bring her along? She whirls around to confront him, certain this is where she's going to be fired, sputtering about being a partner. 

He just tells her to hush and puts his arm around her, his hand fitting into the curve of her back. 

That's when something clicks. 

But it can't be. She's clearly imagining things. 

Yes, it seems to have all the hallmarks - nervous, fumbling, decidedly sweaty Danny being the most obvious - but there's simply no possible way this is a date. 

He's got a reservation. 

Oh god. 

They sit, a table for two that's not too close to the kitchen, and Mindy peers at him. She's got to get down to the bottom of this, but before she can speak, he mumbles some excuses about seeing the place on tv. 

"Is it some big deal?" He asks. 

It kind of feels like a big deal. 

Thump. Thump. Thump.  


She explains how this isn't at all the kind of place she'd envision Danny going to willingly, let alone on his own volition. He almost looks hurt, though, and shrugs it off, telling her in his typically cranky tone to read the menu. For some reason that makes her smile.

"Fine. I've wanted to come here so bad. Everything looks so good, Danny! What are you getting?"

Danny's staring at the menu like it's written in a foreign language. Actually, for him, it probably is. He orders a beef dish that costs thirty five dollars and features adjectives such as "shattered" and his face resembles a cat that's smelled something weird. Mindy decides on the seared Ono and is halfway through her order when the thought flashes in her head of kissing Danny with fish breath. 

She hopes the menu hides her blush and changes to the chicken. 

Never let it be said that Mindy Lahiri isn't optimistic, but she feels really stupid. Why would that idea even percolate in her silly head? They aren't on a date, no matter how posh the restaurant is. Danny is so clueless, he probably did just see it on tv. 

Still, she can't help it if the thought makes her smile. 

She turns her attention back to Danny when the waiter leaves, and he's staring at her weirdly. Did he catch her blush? There's no way he could figure it out, is there? He's not a girl, he doesn't think that way. His gaze feels oddly flattering, and Mindy wonders if this lighting is just really good or...

"You look tired," he blurts out. 

Oh. 

She's instantly embarrassed. How stupid of her to think he was actually admiring her. She had made a conscious effort not to touch up her makeup, because she didn't want to look like she was expecting this to be anything. Plus, if she ended up crying, it wouldn't run as bad as the freshly applied stuff. 

Ugh. 

He's such a dick. 

Mindy tells him that yes, she IS tired, and refuses to look at him, even when he's stammering that he meant well. It really doesn't matter what he meant. She wanted to hear him say she was gorgeous or captivating or any of a million other, more accurate descriptions, as if he was trying to woo her. But he wasn't, and it couldn't be more obvious. 

"Take care of yourself." 

She's not paying attention to whatever it is he's trying to say, so she only catches the tail end of his sentence, and she's a little confused. Yeah, she takes care of herself, a lot more lately now that she doesn't have a boyfriend to do her on the reg, but what the hell does that have to do with the bags under her eyes?

And then he explains he just meant healthy living or some other clichéd bullshit. Well, never mind. 

"What did you think I meant?" he asks, as the waiter approaches with a bottle of red wine that costs probably enough to feed a family in a third world country for a year. She's certainly not going to tell him in front of this guy. 

And since when did Danny so cavalierly spend serious bank on food and drink? She's seen him haggle over the price of a hot dog! That rant was legendary - if an everything dog costs $6, it's just logical that you should pay less if you hold the onions. 

The waiter leaves and Mindy decides to mess with Danny, just a bit, as revenge for the tired remark. She tells him what she thought he meant, and his reaction is divine - he goes beet red, as red as the wine he's choking down - and she laughs in delight. 

And then he looks her right in the eye. His gaze is intense and unwavering, and she sees a heat reflected there that gets her pulse pounding. She feels it most right between her thighs. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

Jesus. So that's what Danny Castellano looks like when he wants to fuck you. 

Mindy breaks first, tearing her eyes away. 

"Anyway!" She really can't think about this. It's a path her mind has taken her down too many times, and it always ends in disappointment. She can't let a fleeting look of desire affect what she knows is the reality of her relationship with Danny. They are friends, tenuous ones at that most of the time. 

She tells him about a similar restaurant in LA where Kim and Kanye used to go, and as expected, his eyes glaze over, but his attention doesn't wander. He just keeps looking at her, and not with that expression of apathy he normally has when she regales him with celebrity news. 

He doesn't give a shit about this stuff, and she knows it. And he's just watching her, breathing his normal noisy breath, and when she makes eye contact it's soft and warm and it kind of makes her melt a little. 

What the fuck is going on here?

She's almost gained the courage to just confront him and ask what this is, really, just a casual dinner at Manhattan's hottest bistro and if so, WHY? 

But then a woman walks up. She's tall and blonde, and she has a massive rack, which is obviously fake as a three dollar bill and why do women do that, and she's smiling at Danny. She has a basket of roses to sell, but come on, this is not the place, and her boobs are just all hanging out like her bra is made of spaghetti. 

Mindy hates her on sight. 

She coos at Danny, taking a bloom from her bunch and tapping it against his chest, slowly stroking upwards. He glances at her and she smiles and leans, baring even more of her exaggerated cleavage. 

It would be completely inappropriate for Mindy to throw her fork at this wench and shriek "get away from my man!" But instinctively, that's what she wants to do. 

He's not even her man, so it's ridiculous. 

But Danny doesn't particularly seem to care about the Godzilla-vs-Mothra level battle of the boobs going on in this woman's blouse as he pulls a $20 bill from his wallet and shoves it in the flower peddler's hand. He doesn't even ask for change. It's bizarre. 

The woman's smile falters when she doesn't get any attention and she slinks away. 

Mindy can't help the delighted grin on her face. He bought her a rose. 

Danny hands it to her, almost begrudgingly, and he won't meet her eyes. He says he just wanted to get rid of the woman quicker, that's why he bought it. 

But his fingers brush against her hand and his eyes flicker up to hers for a second and Mindy finds she's holding her breath. 

She buries her face in the bloom and tries not to grin so much. It smells sweet and fresh. 

He bought her a rose, a red rose. He made a reservation and asked her to dinner and took her to a swanky place and bought her a rose and oh my god. Oh my god. It is a date. It has to be. 

And she didn't even put on fresh makeup. What an idiot. When she tells their grandkids about this, she's going to be wearing something by Valentino, and her makeup will be on point. 

She doesn't even want to meet his eyes because her heart is already pounding out of her skin. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

But then she looks up and he's gazing at her with those soft eyes and my god, if she's wrong about this, she's just going to die. 

The food arrives, and it's fine, but certainly not worthy of the price tag. Danny doesn't utter a word of complaint, let alone the expected rant. They eat, and it's weirdly quiet, and Mindy really wants more wine, another bottle, maybe two, because it's good and relaxing and it's calming her edges. 

But it's all over too quickly, and then Danny is paying, wordlessly, though she sees him blanche just for a moment when he sees how many numbers are before the decimal point. Who is this man? 

Bizarro Danny pulls bills from his wallet for the tip, and when Mindy sees they're twenties and not ones, she does some quick math and figures Danny just spent over two hundo on this meal. She's a little lightheaded at the thought. 

So she insists on walking home. Not just to save him the cab fare, of course. It's just a really pretty night, and the air is crisp and smells good for once and she really doesn't want it to end, even though she's dying to see what happens when it does. 

Danny walks her home, touching her often enough to keep her buzzing, his shoulder jostling hers, or their hands brushing. Her nervous energy isn't burning off fast enough and by the time they reach her building, she's coiled tense as a spring. 

He walks her up the stairs to her security door and waits as she fumbles with the keys. Mindy wants him to come up, so she doesn't even give him the chance to say goodnight outside, just breezes through the doorway so he has to follow her. 

She thinks he would have anyway. 

The old man from the floor above gets in the elevator with them and it's a relief, because she's not sure she could survive the tension. She beams at him as she tells him goodnight and Danny comes with her to her door and here it is. The moment of truth. 

He seems incredibly close as she unlocks her door and she can feel the heat of his body even though he's not touching her. It's enough to make her crazy and then he steps back and now she's really going crazy. 

Was this seriously just a friendly dinner? Is she once again misreading everything? 

Mindy undoes the final lock and touches the knob. No. She can't leave it like this, all confusing. She turns around and smiles sweetly to thank him for dinner. 

Danny's face is blank, like he's wearing an immobile Danny mask. But his eyes give him away. They're darting from her eyes to her mouth and come on, what does she have to do? Send up smoke signals? 

She lays one hand on his arm and smiles encouragingly. Come in, Castellano. Mindy is starting to feel like the biggest idiot of all time and, well, since she probably can't feel any stupider, why not really lay it on the line?

Stepping up on her tippy toes, she leans in to give him a kiss on the cheek. That's safe enough to explain away but opens up the door for him to respond, and she's thinking he will when she feels his hand at her waist. 

This man burns hotter than the sun. Her lips touch his skin, a little too close to his mouth, closer than she planned, really. His cheek is soft, like he uses a million moisturizers, and he smells warm and inviting. Her breasts are brushing against his chest and inevitably they are reacting too, and she lingers there, waiting. 

Come on. 

Just move your face, Castellano. 

Danny. 

Ugh. 

It's not happening. She can't just teeter here all night. 

Mindy moves away, looking down and stifling a sigh. She fucked up. Such a fool, Lahiri. He doesn't want this. He doesn't want you. 

His hand is still holding her there, burning into her flesh. 

She looks back up, ever hopeful, and it's back. That look from across the table, fiery hot and intense and it makes her knees weak and her heart race. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

"I want to kiss you."

She doesn't gasp, not really, but she sucks in her breath in surprise. Danny is such a dork, and she sort of tells him that, but she can't even finish the sentence because he's got his hands on her face and he's kissing her. 

His lips are as hot as the rest of him, maybe hotter, and they move against hers slowly and skillfully. But all Mindy can think is hot damn, she was right, Danny did want her after all, and oh, how long she's wanted this too. 

And then she's not thinking at all because it's so good. She slides her arms around his neck and pulls him closer, and his chest feels so firm against hers and oh, if only they were naked, because she's seen his chest and his other parts but she's never gotten to feel them against hers. 

And she wants that. A lot. 

When his hands find her ass and pull her hips against him it's pretty obvious he wants that too. 

She's dead. She's died and gone to heaven and she must have done something very, very right to get this as a reward. 

Mindy groans at the pressure that's building inside her and then she's smack up against the door. In between a rock and a hard place never felt this right. Also, he has a very nice ass himself, she's discovered. 

Danny gasps for air and she just sort of collapses against him, wrapping her arms around his back, clinging. If this is a dream, let her have it just a moment longer...

Okay. 

She looks up at him with a shy smile. 

He's got a little bit of a dazed look on his face himself. 

There's a little small talk while she weighs the options. He asks to come in, and she stalls, telling him he can kiss her though. 

And kiss her he does. 

The door is unlocked, she just has to turn the knob. Maybe if he just comes in for a minute, so they're not making out embarrassingly in the hallway, where her neighbors might see. 

His mouth moves on hers, his hands trace patterns on her back, and while dinner was pricey and trendy, it wasn't satisfying. She's still hungry. 

Maybe they could just get a pizza, and talk, and see where that takes them. 

But the pounding of her heart tells her that if she opens that door, she's not just letting him in her apartment. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

Her hand finds the knob.


End file.
